I haven't loved everything that I've seen come out of Eperosa over the past few years but when Eperosa is good, Eperosa is outstanding. I count Eperosa as one of the very best producers in the Barossa Valley, and indeed as one of Australia’s best wine producers. A prime example of why I rate Eperosa so highly is its latest Eperosa Magnolia 1896 Shiraz 2022 ($80). This wine is ripe, generous and exceptionally long, but what really sets it apart is its ingrained finesse, the long, silty run of its tannin, the vastness of the fragrant herb notes littered along its palate, and the way flavour is so thoroughly infused through the bursting spiral of the finish. There’s a real soar to this Barossa Valley Shiraz. It’s not a heavy wine but it’s powerful, purposeful and incredibly persistent. This is the vanguard of the modern Barossa Valley in peak form. 96/100.

The 1896 in the name of the wine refers to the age of the (Magnolia) vineyard, or at least to the vines on which this wine was grown. The Magnolia vineyard is at Vine Vale in the Barossa Valley. The Eperosa wines are made by Brett Grocke, a 6th generational Barossan. The Eperosa wines are both the real deal, and at the forefront of modern Australian wine.